RENEGADE (Canada) - Back From The Dead + On The Edge

This RENEGADE from Canada was already featured here in the very early years of this blog, almost 9 years ago. Now it was requested by a reader, and I think these guys deserve a revamp as their music is one of that 'lost '80s gems' deserved to be listened by everyone.
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Renegade existed since the early Eighties with various incarnations. Founder and chief songwriter Jim Buckshon went on to play in Matrex (another great unknown Canuck band) and Renegade disbanded.

But the group returned in the middle '80s again with Buckshon as leader. Between 1985/87 Renegade toured the Pacific Northwest area, recording several songs in between at various studios. These are the tracks featured in "On The Edge", finally appeared in 2004.
Why Renegade were not signed by a major label is beyond me, as their sound and style is pure AOR / Melodic Rock in the vein of Honeymoon Suite, Haywire, Worrall, etc.
Ironically, some of Renegade's musicians now own a recording & publishing agency, and all their material was finally released through there (in reverse): "Back From The Dead" recorded 88/89 appeared in 2001, while "On The Edge" [recorded 1985-1987], as said, in 2004.



"Back From The Dead" is my favorite of the two; tracks like 'Standing Out In The Rain', the delicious 'The Best Of Me', 'Prisoner Of Your Heart', the anthemic 'Big City Nights' (produced by master Mike Fraser) are primo AOR / Melodic Rock numbers.
"On The Edge" features a different vocalist with a more rocking approach, being 'Take A Chance On Romance' (quite similar to Joseph Lee Wood, other artist featured here on the blog), the smooth 'Angel Of Love', title track and the slightly pompy 'Call To Glory' are among my picks from the bunch.

Renegade is one of those bands which shoulda been huge, armed with terrific melodic songs and catchy choruses plus a really solid musicianship.
You need their two albums in your AOR / Melodic Rock collection.


Back From The Dead [recorded 88/89] (2001)
01 - Standing Out In The Rain
02 - The Best Of Me
03 - Sign Of The Times
04 - Prisoner Of Your Heart
05 - Big City Nights
06 - After The Smoke Clears
07 - Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
08 - Betrayal

Marti Sippola – Vocals
Geraldo Dominelli – Guitar, Vocals
Kenny Geatros – Guitar
John Tompkins – Keyboards
David Steele – Background Vocals
Jim Buckshon – Bass, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Vocals
Produced & engineered by Jim Buckshon except Big City Nights produced and engineered by Mike Fraser


On The Edge [recorded 1985-1987] (2004)
01 - Angel Of Love
02 - Its My Life
03 - Friends And Lovers
04 - On The Edge
05 - Call To Glory
06 - Testify
07 - Its Only Make Believe
08 - Take A Chance On Romance
09 - Kids Runnin Wild

Steve Foster - Vocals
Geraldo Dominelli - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kenny Geatros, Terry Kellogg - Guitar
Paul Minshall - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Darren Pasdernick - Keyboards
Jim Buckshon - Bass, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Vocals
Darby Mills, Rhoslyn Jones, Helenna Santos - Backing Vocals






RENEGADE (Canada) - Back From The Dead + On The Edge
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